Heating



T. ALR ONSTROM. HE AI|NG APPLIANCE. APPLICATION FILE'D OCT. 24. 1911.

1,30%332. Patented June 17, 1919. 2? E g I 1 A5 If H /5 A? asoaasa all more s THOMAS A. RONSTR-Ollll, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

HEATHWG APPLIENCE,

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June it, rate Application filed October 24, 1917. Serial no. 198,195.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, THOMAS A, RON- STROM, a subject of the King ofSweden, residing at Chicago, in the county ofCook and State of Illinois, have invented certain One of the principal objects of this in-,

vention is to provide a construction in which the greatest heat transferring efliciency 1s secured. .Theoretically, in order to secure perfect eificiency the waste gases which emerge from the casing surrounding the burner and heat absorbing element should contain no heat, or from a practical standpoint should-be at atmospheric temperature. This is not practically possible but in the construction here disclosed the result is approximated. The desired result is secured by proportioning the area of the upper waste gas outlet so that it will be sufiicient to pass a volume corresponding to that of the waste gases at their pressure at the exit oint, When so restricted in area the ow of fluid through the casing will be materially restricted; if no other means were provided forthe escape of gases "than through the permanently restricted upper outlet, there would be cccasions when the production of waste gases would be increased and therefore such gases would be prevented from escaping with Suficient rapidity and the burner would be surrounded by non-combustible gas, These gases would restrict combustion and the heating fluid would be delivered through the burner without being entirely consumed.

To this end I have provided .a series of openings located above the burner in such position that upon an increase in the amount of fuel consumed,'the increased volume of waste ses will-not be permitted'to surround 1: e burner and retard the eificiency of combustion. It will-beseen, therefore, that there is'a distinct cooperation between the location of the lateral openings at a point above the burner and the size of the escape opening in the top of the casing. Being located as described at a point just above the burner, there is no possibility of or opportunity for interference with the effi ciency of the burner when, due to fluctuation Neither are the waste gases diluted with atmospheric air as during normal operation no atmospheric air will enter through the lateral openings, The restriction of the exit opening does not serve to materially increase the pressure within the casing as in view of the increased rate of absorption, the pres-' sure of the gases is constantly reduced.

Stated in a few words, however, the ad vantageous result is secured by so restricting the waste as outlet that there is constantly maintaineg within the casing a volume of gas which is relatively highly heated and which is in intimate contact with all the convolutions of the coil, the only gases escaping through the outlet being those from which the maximum of heat has been absorbed and which are forced out by the ascending current of gases from the burner. The lateral openings have the function of equalizing the pressure between the interior and exterior of the casing. Should the pressure increase due to the restriction of the outlet area, this excess pressure can escape at a point above the burner without restricting combustion and thereby lessening the efficiency of the burner.

Still other and further objects will become readily apparent to those skilled in the art from a consideration of the following description and drawing wherein;

THE

a gas water-heater of a well known type such ing heat. The casings are usually provided near the bottom below the burner with openings for the admission of air. I have found from study and experimentation, that the openings usually provided in the bottom portion of the casing admit a large quantity of air, greatly in excess of that needed for perfect combustion of the gas and consequently cause a strong, updraft carrying out through the stacka great deal of heat which might otherwise be used for raising the temperature of the water within the coils.

When a suiiicient quantity of air is mixed in the proper way with the combustible gas, the maximum heat generating efficiency is reached, and the introduction of more air will onl serve to increase the volume of the gases oi combustion Without increasing the generation of the heat. 7

' In an apparatus of this character it is de sirable to have the products of combustion pass through the heater in as concentrated form as practicable and each cubic foot of gases, containing 'a certain number of heat units, will transmit more of its heat to the water heating coil, than if the same number of heat units were carried by a larger volume of gas.

For the purpose of a better understanding of the explanation of the theory upon which my invention is based, I will first describe the simple ap aratus which I have illustrated in the d i'awing. The numeral 10 indicates a semi-cylindrical vertical shell, cut away at its front portion to receive a hinged door 11. A closed base 12 is secured to the bottom of the shell 10 and at the top is provided a cap 13 with which the flue 14 makes eng. ement. Adamper 15 is mounted within the ue and is controlled by a handle 16. A burner tube 17 projects through the bottoni 12 carrying a burner plate 18 on its upper end, its lower end being provided with an air mixer 19, within which the gas fed a through the pipe 20 is mixed with a proper quantity of air. A heating coil 21 is positioned within the upper portion of the easing and slightly above the top of the burner flame, I have provided a number of openings22 in the wall of the casing and door.

tom of the heating casing to a slight distance above the top ofthe flame, and area (1)) extending from the top of the bottom section (a) to the top of the casing. Above this upper section, I provide a dainper for choking ofl the free passage of the gases of combustion from the casing thus causing a congestion of the gases throughout this up per section permitting a longer period of time within which they can ive up heat to the water coil than would otherwise be the case.

By gradually closing the damper, it is possible to obstruct the outflow of gases from the casing until a point is reached where the congestion of gases, surrounding.

the water-coil, will extend downwardly-to a point slightly above the top of the burner flame. If the closing of the damper is continued beyond this point, it will be apparent that this area will be lowered to a zone interfering with the free combustion and consequently reducing the efliciency of the burner. If the operating conditions, such as air density, gas pressure and quality were always constant, it would be possible to adjust the damper until the zones (0), (b) were established as indicated in the drawings, and then continue the operation of the heater at this highly eflicient adjustment, Such conditions, are, however, impossible of attainment, and I have therefore found it necessary to rovide auxiliary outlet open: ings positioned at the plane in which the two zones meet. These openings permit the outflow of gases of combustion in the event the upper zone (6) tries to creep down into the zone (0.)

, claim is 1. In a device of the class described, the combination of a casing having a closed lower end and awaste gas olltletin its upper end, a combustion space being provided in the lower portion of the casing and a heat absorbing space in the up er portion, a water container in the heat a sorbing space,

- a burner in the combustion space, all the air To simplify the explanation of my invention, I will divide the space within the heater casing into two imaginary sections; (a) comprising the area extending from the botnecessary for combustion being supplied through the burner, the casing being provided with a plurality of side openings located at a point above the combustion space and below the heat absorbing space, and means for so restricting the waste gas outlet that the velocity of the waste gases is materially reduced, any abnormal excess of Waste gas escaping through the side openings, thereby being prevented from restricting the flame, substantially as described.

'2. In a device of the class described, the combination of a casing having a closed lower end and a waste gas outlet in its upper end, a combustion space being provided in the lower portion of the casing and a heat absorbing space in the up er portion, a water container in the heat a sorbing space,

a burner in the combustion s ace, all the air necessary for combustion eing supplied through the burner, means for regulably restricting the waste gas outlet and increasing the pressure in the heat absorption space therebyreducing the velocity of the gases therethrough and increasing the pressure therein, and means for preventing an increase of pressure in the combustion space, said means including an opening in the casing located at a pointabove the combustion wspaceand below the heat absorption space,

substantially as described.

3. In a device of the class described, the combination of a casin having a Waste gas outlet in its upper end, a damper in said outlet, a burner projected into the casing through the bottom wall thereof, said bottom Wall being otherwise imperforate, all the air necessary for combustion being supplied through the burner, a water container within the upper portion of the casing, said damper serving as a means for reducing the velocity of the waste gases through the space occupied by the water container and thereby increasing the pressure in said space, said casing being provided with a side opening located at a point intermediate its height and above the burner flame, said opening serving to prevent any increase of pressure in the combustion area by permitting the escape of excess Waste gases, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I hereunto set my hand.

THOMAS A. RONSTROM. 

